Stop 10 – West Salem, OH 

Up until this point, this trip has pretty much followed my expectations: sketchy people, run down stops, weak food options. But West Salem gave me my first taste of authentic rural America for the trip. 

This is the bus station. On the right side of the bus is a probably 8ft by 4ft shack with a portopotty next to it. But look closely at the field serving as the West Salem bus stop. That horse and buggy isn’t decorative. That was our newest passenger’s ride to the bus station. 

After he boarded and found a seat, what I assume to be his father and little brother (in identical outfits, no less) ran back to the buggy and took off. I’m obviously an outsider as very few other people on the bus paid any attention to the newest arrival.